I send on behalf of American Composers Orchestra, deepest sympathies to Maestro Penderecki's many colleagues and his family and his country. Although ACO's mission is focused on supporting and performing the work of composers from the United States, Central and South America and Canada, it is indisputable that the beauty and importance of Maestro's work has been so important to the musical ecology in this part of the world. We see so many of our composers sharing tributes and remembrance of his influence on them. He truly was a citizen of the international musical world. In my former position at the NY Philharmonic, I remember with awe and appreciation the performances of his concerto for three cellos with Carter Brey, Alban Gerhardt and Alisa Welerstein. It was truly an event in New York.

Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki est parti Il nous laisse une oeuvre incroyablement riche Celle de l'un des plus grands compositeurs de son temps Nous sommes tous orphelins, d'un maître, d'un guide, d'un exemple.. Comment lui rendre hommage sans penser à son Centre pour la Musique dont il rêva pendant de nombreuses années avant de pouvoir le construire, à Lustawice, près de lui. Quelle leçon et quel privilège de l'avoir connu ici, quittant ses jeunes arbres, puis traversant la route pour rejoindre ses jeunes disciples sur lesquels il veillait avec la même affection.. Quel bonheur d'avoir partagé sa musique en ce lieu, sous sa direction, avec eux et avec tant d'autres solistes et professeurs qu'il savait si bien, avec Adam, réunir autour de lui. Nous lui rendrons tous hommage à travers ces pièces qu'il nous a enseignées, à Lustawice et tout autour du monde, et qu'à notre tour nous transmettrons, au plus près de son esprit, aux nouveaux venus dans ce monde de la musique auquel il a tant donné.

KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI był człowiekiem CUDU! Osiągnął wszystko, o czym można marzyć: piękne, ciekawe i wartościowe życie zawodowe, osobiste, rodzinne. WSZYSTKO co należało do NIEGO było najlepsze z możliwych: od wytwornego serwisu do kawy na haftowanych, krochmalonych serwetkach po światowej sławy solistów, którzy byli fanami JEGO twórczości. Co najważniejsze otoczony był miłością, podziwem i sympatią ludzi, z którymi się stykał. Miał czas na fascynujące i oryginalne hobby. Stworzył zupełnie wyjątkowe miejsce: Europejskie Centrum Muzyki w Lusławicach. UMIAŁ ZYĆ. I WSZYSTKO TO osiągnął mocą swojego gigantycznego talentu, talentu do ludzi i tak ulotnej sztuki jak MUZYKA. Boże, jak ja GO lubiłam j podziwiałam, jak mi GO już brakuje. ELŻBIETO, TY wiesz….

Hadn’t it been for my beloved teacher Boris Pergamenschikow, I would have never been introduced so intimately into the universe of Krzysztof Penderecki. After more than two decades of encounters with Krzysztof, his family and his disciples, it is time to say goodbye and wish wholeheartedly a good passage into eternity. He left us on a Sunday; he couldn’t have chosen a better day. I spent this day going through my memories of him. Here is one I want to share with you. Many years ago, I was on the airplane sitting next to him, while on tour. At some point, he takes out a few sheets of white paper and a sharp pencil. He starts sketching. Trying not to be noticed, I follow the pencil. He is making circles; different size, concentric, some thick, some thin. I can’t stop looking at the lines, my mind revolves around them, and as they grip my eyes, I can’t resist and I give in. I ask him if he is working on a new piece. I get a smile in return; one of those he would generously give you: witty and charming. No, I just bought several new seeds of trees and I am figuring out how I will plant them after the tour”. Krzysztof Penderecki planted over 2000 different species in his garden. Today he is joining the great assembly of composers in heaven and will feverishly exchange all his daring musical ideas, his notes, his sketches. However I am convinced that he will also take walks and leave the musical rooms to knock at the door of the assembly of great botanists. He may even decide to elect that place as his main residence of eternal peace. Thank you, Maestro, for everything you have given us. Your music will always be alive down here and it will guide us to go and find you. And as your candle shines bright, your trees will continue to grow and touch the sky. There they will meet you again.

Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki był gigantem muzyki – jest to stwierdzenie równie oczywiste, jak powszechny i wieloma głosmi wyrażany żal po Jego odejściu. I w tym jakże smutnym momencie zwracam się do osoby dla Mistrza najbliższej nie tylko w sensie emocjonalnym, ale także twórczym. Kochana Elżbieto, przeżywasz olbrzymi ból, cierpisz i zapewne nie wyobrażasz sobie dalszego życia bez ukochanego Męża. Całym sercem jestem z Tobą, lecz jednocześnie proszę, pamiętaj, jaki związek tworzyliście przez ponad pół wieku i Twojej w nim roli, a właściwie wielu rolach, które pełniłaś. Byłaś muzą, przyjaciółką, partnerką, propagatorką, opoką – można by długo wymieniać, ponieważ nic nie ujmując z ogromu i oryginalności talentu Mistrza, nie mógłby on rozwijać się z równą mocą, gdyby nie było Ciebie. Mam nadzieję, że ta świadomość będzie dla Ciebie pociechą. Natomiast ja pragnę Ci wyrazić – jestem przekonana, że nie wyłącznie we własnym imieniu – podziw i wdzięczność za wszystko, co uczyniłaś dla jednego z największych kompozytorów w historii naszego kraju.

Dear Elżbieta, family, friends and colleagues of Maestro Penderecki, Here is my remembrance of my few unforgettable days driving from Ann Arbor to Chicago, 25 years ago. Much love and condolences to you all from Brooklyn. http://derekbermel.blogspot.com/2013/09/driving-mr-krzysztof.html

On March 29, 2020, Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki left us forever. Now there is one more great composer and conductor in heaven, and we lost a true friend and musical pioneer. Our company has had the privilege of collaborating with Maestro Penderecki and of touring his orchestras to China many times in the past few years. He was always very eloquent, and had a wonderful sense of humor - but he was extremely serious when dealing with music and performances, both of his own compositions and those of other favorite composers. The tour to celebrate his 85th birthday in China seems to have taken place just yesterday, and his work will forever reverberate in all Chinese venues. As time passes, it is impossible for us to know what humanity will look like in the future, but the music of the great composers will stay with us, and among that music will be Maestro Penderecki's. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Elzbieta and all his family.

Dear Elzbieta, dear Family Penderecki. It's with deep sadness that we read the lines of the death of Krzysztof Penderecki. We lose in him a true humanist, a friend, the greatest contemporary composer and wonderful director. It was an honor and a privilege for me to get to know Krzysztof in the context of the Beethoven Easter Festivals, which our institution supports since 2015. The celebrations of Krzysztof's 85th birthday, which touched us all, are vividly remembered. The very initimate visit at the Lucern Music Festival belong to the most impressive moments in my life. His music, the universal language in general, has influenced all of us and will continue to live and carry the message of peaceful togetherness. We mourn our friend and wish the family and you, Elzbieta, much strength in this difficult time. He shall rest in peace.

It was with great dismay that we learned that the great composer, conductor and humanist Krzysztof Penderecki has today passed away forever. The "musik:landschaft westfalen" loses a great friend, mentor and companion who has inspired and shaped the festival like no other since its foundation. Krzysztof Penderecki opened the festival in June 2009 in the St. Paul's Cathedral in Münster with his great composition "The seven Gates of Jerusalem" and set standards. After the huge performance - three mixed choirs, (long-distance) orchestra, five soloists and a speaker - had faded away, the large crowd of listeners in the sold-out St. Paul's Cathedral remained silent for a few seconds, only to rise from their seats in a united manner to celebrate the composer and conductor and his seven-movement choral symphony "The Seven Gates of Jerusalem" with never-ending applause. Three years later, he spontaneously agreed not only to give his name to the "penderecki musik:akademie westfalen" dedicated to him, but also to taught personally the highly talented young musicians as director of the academy and to form an extraordinary orchestra out of some 80 international musicians. With this orchestra, the "festival:philharmonie westfalen", the maestro has given many concerts at the festival in Westphalia, but also in the Netherlands and, of course, at the European Centre for Music Krzysztof Penderecki in Luslawice. We are infinitely saddened by the loss that his death means for us. We are infinitely happy to have known him, to have worked and celebrated with him, to have learned through him and to have experienced his awesome music with him. We have the memory of a wonderful person. And his music will remain with us forever. Our thoughts are with his wonderfully wife Elzbieta and his whole family. Dear Krzysztof, rest in peace.